World Cup Interview: Ghana’s Jerome Opoku | OneFootball

We are just one month away from the start of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which will see Ghana face off against Panama before taking on England and Croatia. And one player in particular who’ll be seeking to make his mark for the Black Stars is Jerome Osei Opoku.

Born on October 14, 1998, Opoku was raised in South London by Ghanaian immigrants and quickly developed an interest in football, rising through the ranks at Fulham’s academy before trying his luck at League One sides Accrington Stanley and Plymouth Argyle. Another loan would follow with Danish side Velje Boldklub until he eventually joined Portuguese side Arouca on a permanent deal. Opoku established himself as one of the best center-backs in Liga Portugal and guided Arouca to their second-ever European qualification and their first-ever European win, before making the move to Turkish side İstanbul Başakşehir for €1.5 million.

Over the past three seasons, Opoku has emerged as an ever-present in Başakşehir’s defense. He’s made over 100 appearances and helping the Turkish side consistently finish in the top six, all while raising his two sons, Cruz and Rome. 

Moreover, he’s also made his mark at the international level, debuting for Ghana shortly after his move to the Süper Lig and registering 10 caps for the Black Stars. In fact, he hasn’t missed a competitive international window since 2024. Hooligan Soccer spoke to Opoku about a number of topics, including:

One thing that immediately stands out is your physical fortitude and overall power… just how much work has gone into getting in the best shape possible?

Yeah, 100%, ever since I started my career, obviously, each step, you have to just add something. Each level you go up to, even if it’s just 1% to your game, you’ll just do it.

I do extra training with my coach in Türkiye, my eating and sleeping is good, I’m definitely in the gym a lot now, maybe three times a week.

Başakşehir are pushing for yet another UEFA participation, and one player who is leading the charge is Eldor Shomurodov, scoring 20 of their 53 goals. Just how important has he been for you?

He’s obviously done it before in massive clubs like Roma, so when an experienced striker comes in, they already know what to do. He’s a great guy, too, so it makes it easier. You have to just put the ball in the area, and then, most likely, he’s gonna put it into the net. We just have to find him as much as we can as a team.

At 28 years old, you are set to compete in your first-ever major tournament for Ghana… Is it safe to say that you are in your footballing peak? Are you hitting your stride at the perfect time?

With regards to growing into the finished product, I think there’s a lot more to come, you know?

I’m working off the pitch, behind the scenes, every day, to even achieve that, because every game, every training session, I feel that there’s more that I can push my body more. There’s definitely more to come for me at 28, 100%.

What does an average week look like for you?

I’ll say that I’m a homebody. I love being at home in my spare time, where I try to spend a lot of time with my sons, especially my eldest one. Because of the times we train and when he goes to school, most of the time, I come back, and he’s sleeping, so when I do get that time with him, I’ll be with him. I’m a foodie, so my missus and I have tried lots of different restaurants here in Istanbul. It’s just a relaxed, family-oriented lifestyle, and I love food, so I’ll say that sums me up pretty well.

What do you feel has been the biggest X-factor in your game, the most important attribute that has helped you achieve success in prestigious leagues like Süper Lig, Liga Portugal and the Ghana national team?

My teammates and the people around me are great players, but I think, for myself, it’s maybe my calmness on the ball. I think I do bring a lot of qualities aerially and defensively with my height. It’s just my overall game; maybe it could be one or two things that other players don’t have, and maybe I don’t have one or two things that they don’t have. I think it just brings a whole, good balance to the team, having other players and me too, so maybe that has to be it.

Lastly, has it been difficult having to focus solely on club football and trying not to think about potentially getting injured and missing out on the World Cup?

To be honest, I just don’t think about that, you know? I think once that whistle goes, I’m just locked in. I don’t want anyone to score; I don’t want to concede one goal. Funnily enough, I think I was joking about that with one of my friends about exactly what you said, but it’s just once that whistle goes, everything’s out of my head. I’m just focused on the pitch and the game at hand.